The present invention relates to a device for retaining and transporting golf clubs, and in particular to a portable, collapsible carrier and support for retaining and transporting golf clubs when it is impractical or inconvenient to use a conventional golf bag.
Typically, a golf bag will be used to carry a full complement of golf club drivers and irons, golf balls, tees, and other paraphernalia that will support or assist the golfer in playing the game. The conventional golf bag is usually adapted to be slung over the shoulder by a strap. As such, the golf bag will be heavy to carry under normal playing circumstances, thereby necessitating the use of a golf cart or caddie for transporting all of the equipment when playing a round of golf on a golf course. Even when the golf bag is left behind, transport of the clubs will often be clumsy and cumbersome. This is especially so when it is desired to use several select clubs at, for example, a practice tee or putting green, or more specifically at a driving range where golf bags are often not permitted or allowed on the premises because of strict rules that govern the conduct of a practitioner of the sport to prevent the theft of rented golf balls and golf clubs.
Accordingly, a person desiring to practice his game at a driving range will normally be required to select the clubs he wishes to practice with, and transport them to the driving range. At the same time, the golf bag will have to be left behind, usually in the trunk of the car. When transporting the selected clubs, the golf practitioner will have to carry them loosely to the driving range, along with any other equipment he chooses to bring with him, pay the requisite fee to rent the golf balls, and transport everything to the location from which he will practice his shots. Once reaching the location, the selected golf clubs will have to be laid down on the ground along side of the collection of golf balls, which are usually contained in a bucket, thereby leaving the clubs in disarray and subject to possible damage from abrasion with the ground or being stepped on.
What is desired then, is a device that will easily retain and support individual golf clubs and which can be used to transport them in a manner that is efficient and organized, while at the same time enabling such a device to be stored in a conventional golf bag when not in use. The latter feature will avoid the necessity of having duplicate carrier devices for storing golf clubs which would not only save on storage space but will also offer the player the option of using selected clubs without the need of a burdensome golf bag.
Numerous devices have been described for holding and carrying golf clubs which vary quite widely in versatility and function. For example, an array of golf club assemblies and devices has been described in patents as an alternative to the conventional golf bag and which are intended to replace the same. Thus, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,064,433; 2,465,096; 2,987,109; 2,990,865; 3,215,181; 3,483,996; 4,036,416; 4,311,264; 4,666,038; and Des. 149,557 all describe devices for assembling or holding golf clubs that are intended to be used in lieu of or replace the usual golf bag. These devices, however lightweight and portable they may be, are either not compact enough for insertion and/or storage in a conventional golf bag or have other undesirable shortcomings.
Other golf club carriers, such as those set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,904,231; 2,737,990; 2,887,137; and 4,616,749, may be compact in nature, but have certain drawbacks that would not satisfy the purposes and objects of the device according to the invention herein. For example, the tubular device described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,737,990 contains a spike element that would tear a golf bag if inserted therein. And in U.S. Pat. No. 1,904,231 and 2,887,137, the devices disclosed therein do not lend sufficient upright stability when deployed, especially when the latter is placed on a hard ground surface. Furthermore, the carrier described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,749 is limited in the number of golf clubs that can be transported. It must also be inverted to carry the clubs contained therein.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a useful device for the retainment and transport of golf clubs.
It is another object of the invention to provide a golf club carrier and support that will facilitate the retainment and transport of golf clubs in an orderly and efficient manner.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a carrier and support that will retain a plurality of golf clubs in a spaced apart horizontal relationship with respect to each other for easy transport and selectivity.
Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a golf club carrier and support that is collapsible to a sufficient compactness for easy insertion and storage in a conventional golf bag.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a golf club carrier and support that is lightweight and economical to manufacture.
And yet a further object of the invention is the provision of a golf club carrier and support that will additionally accommodate the support, storage and transport of golf balls and golf tees.
These and other objects of the invention will become more readily understood and apparent by reference to the following description of the various attributes and features of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.